a nephew's love

Here is a link to Debbie's nephew Dustin's latest demonstration of love for his Bubbie.

Jul 13, 2009
Student Honors Aunt Through Volunteer Service

Dustin Kovacic

Ever since I was a young child, my parents had told me that my aunt, my mother's sister, had a combination of MS and Lupus, but I always viewed her as the "fun" aunt rather then the "sick" aunt. I remember Christmas in my aunt's home in Destin, Florida, riding on her lap in her wheelchair, narrowly dodging sculptures and family members along the way. As I grew older, I began to understand the complexities of the diseases she carried and wanted to do something to help. In my junior year of high school, I decided to become involved with the National MS Society North Florida Chapter by volunteering for the annual Bike MS: PGA TOUR Cycle to the Shore, where bicyclist raise money for the disease through donations and registration costs. After completing the event, I felt great about the amount of care people have for this disease and understood that this affected so many more people than I had ever imagined. In my next year of high school, I volunteered again for the Bike MS event and upon founding a volunteer organization at my school, invited my club members to volunteer for the Walk MS that same year. Every event I attended, I felt as if it was the least I could do to help such a great organization that was searching for a cure to help my aunt.

This past year, while I was in college, my aunt passed away in Nashville, Tennessee. Fortunately, I got to see her before she passed and will always have that same childhood youthful memory of her for as long as I live. A few weeks after I got back from Tennessee, I emailed the volunteer coordinator of the North Florida Chapter and told her that I would love to be an active volunteer for the National MS Society to honor my aunt and her memory.

Currently, I am a sophomore at the University of Florida double majoring in Music (Piano Performance) and Political Science. I am on the pre-law track and plan to attend law school right after graduating. In the spring semester of my freshman year, I handed out flyer's and went to organizations around Gainesville promoting the upcoming Walk MS in Gainesville. I successfully recruited volunteers for the event and was glad to share with them why I volunteer for the National MS Society. This summer, I have been in frequent contact with the volunteer coordinator and have already volunteered for the Bike MS Kickoff ride at the TPC in Sawgrass. I plan to remain a volunteer and advocate for the National MS Society in memory of a wonderful family member, woman, and friend.

-Dustin Kovacic